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Petrochemicals

Dow to use AspenTech engineering software on petrochemical projects

US software and services provider Aspen Technology (AspenTech) said that Dow Chemical is using its aspenOne engineering software to guide capital-cost decisions on large-scale petrochemicals projects.

INEOS licenses technology for China PP project

INEOS Technologies has licensed its Innovene PP process technology for the manufacture of polypropylene homopolymers, random copolymers and impact copolymers to the Ningxia Baofeng Energy in Ningxia, China. The 300,000 tpy Innovene PP plant will produce a wide range of polypropylene products to serve the growing market in China.

US refiners note security upgrades as 9/11 nears

American fuel and petrochemical manufacturers have made major improvements in security to protect their facilities against possible terrorist attacks since Sept. 11, 2001, National Petrochemical & Refiners Association (NPRA) president Charles T. Drevna said on Friday.

NPRA blasts Obama on jobs, seeks less regulation

The US-based National Petrochemical & Refiners Association (NPRA) sharply criticized Thursday’s speech from President Barack Obama on creating jobs in the US, asking for relief from “unwarranted regulatory burdens”.

Momentive expands R&D technical center in Texas

Momentive Specialty Chemicals hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony this week for its expanded technical center in Stafford, Texas, that will house a new technology group focused on product innovations.

UOP wins technology deal for China propylene plant

Honeywell’s UOP has been selected by Fujian Meide Petrochemical Co. to provide key technology to help meet growing Chinese demand for propylene. The new propane dehydrogenation unit at the facility will use UOP's C3 Oleflex technology to produce propylene, a material used in the production of materials such as films and packaging.

Eastman to expand global capacity for plasticizers

Eastman Chemical announced a second expansion of its Benzoflex plasticizer line at the Kohtla-Järve site in Estonia. The expansion will increase capacity at the site by an additional 11,000 metric tons and is expected to be completed by the end of the 2012 second quarter.

US shale advantage to dissipate in future - study

The US shale advantage makes US petrochemicals made from methane and ethane more competitive, but that advantage, accruing mostly to ethylene, dissipates over the next 20 years, according to a new study from Probe Economics.

BASF, Quantiam form catalytic coatings business

BASF has formed a new start-up business with Alberta, Canada-based manufacturing technology firm Quantiam Technologies, seeking to commercialize advanced catalytic surface coatings for steam cracker furnace tubes.

NOVA inks deals for Marcellus Shale ethane supply, delivery to Canada cracker

NOVA Chemicals has entered into three agreements to help revamp its Corunna cracker in Ontario, Canada, to utilize up to 100% natural gas liquids (NGL) feedstocks.